ᐅ Shading options? Roller shutters, sun sails, venetian blinds, awnings

Created on: 18 Feb 2015 16:30
J
jx7
Would you have some tips on shading? We want to keep the heat outside but still allow the light in.

The simplest solution would be roller shutters everywhere plus a sunshade sail for the south-facing terrace (we don’t like the look of an awning), which would also shade the south-facing living room windows overlooking the garden.

Alternatives would be:

(1) No shading at all or only interior curtains/blinds/pleated blinds
This could work for the north-facing street-side windows (kitchen, study, guest toilet) as well as the west-facing windows of the upstairs bathroom
would save costs

(2) Venetian blinds
We don’t like the way they look from the inside

(3) Vertical blinds, drop-arm awnings, or markisolette blinds
Possibly with semi-transparent fabrics

Would option (3) be combinable with roller shutters, or is it not possible to have both at the same time?
At least one combined solution was found at Gunkel-Rollladen:
link removed by moderation
But that seems to be a rather uncommon special solution.
For burglary protection, roller shutters are not necessarily required; burglar-resistant window frames are more important, especially since break-ins often happen during the day.
Other ideas:
1) The master bedroom should be completely dark, so roller shutters are definitely needed here.
2) For the children’s rooms above the living room with floor-to-ceiling south-facing windows, a solution will have to be found.
3) Lowering all roller shutters during the day for heat protection won’t work; it would make the house too dark for us.
J
jx7
18 Feb 2015 18:11
Mycraft wrote: "Actually, the decision is basically already made... judging by how it reads..."

No, roller shutters in the bedroom are fixed, venetian blinds are ruled out, but the following questions remain open:
- In the ground floor living room, in addition to the sun sail, should there be shading for the floor-to-ceiling south-facing windows?
- What should be installed on the non-floor-to-ceiling west-facing windows on the ground floor? Possibly vertical blinds? With or without roller shutters?
- What should go on the floor-to-ceiling south-facing windows in the upper floor children’s rooms? Possibly retractable awnings plus roller shutters, if that is feasible?
- Can shading be omitted in the other rooms (north-facing windows)?

Mycraft wrote: "Whether it’s combinable can ultimately only be answered by your window supplier… some can accommodate special requests, others can’t..."
Well, it would still be interesting to know if it’s generally possible and, if so, whether it is common or just a special solution that not everyone offers.

But thanks for your answers!